Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to subsurface irrigation of landscape vegetation.
Description of the Related Art
Many areas of the world have insufficient rainfall during periods of the year to support the health of turf and landscaping. Irrigation systems are therefore employed that utilize an electronic controller to execute a watering program. The controller turns a plurality of solenoid actuated valves ON and OFF that in turn control the delivery of water to a plurality of sprinklers located around the irrigation site. The sprinklers are typically rotor-type sprinklers, rotary stream sprinklers, spray heads or micro-stream sprinklers that deliver water above the ground in various stream and spray patterns.
In some cases drip irrigation is used to deliver water at a very slow rate to individual plants, shrubs and trees. Drip emitters are used instead of sprinklers when drip irrigation is employed. A drip emitter typically includes a tortuous path water flow channel. The drip emitters may be connected to the ends of segments of small diameter plastic tube and located above the ground immediately next to plants and shrubs. The drip emitters may also be mounted inside larger diameter plastic tube at spaced apart intervals to deliver water through holes in the tube, thereby providing what the irrigation industry refers to as drip line.
Subsurface drip emitters have been developed that are more efficient in terms of saving water because there is less evaporation and runoff. They are also less subject to vandalism. See U.S. Pat. No. 7,648,085 granted Jan. 19, 2010, to Mavrakis et al. that discloses a subsurface drip emitter that can be mounted inside tubing. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,380 granted May 8, 1979, to Hartman that discloses a subsurface the drip emitter that is coupled to a hollow ground spike for delivering water to the roots of plants.